


Hilda and Nell

by Terrygo



Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 09:56:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5000371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terrygo/pseuds/Terrygo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short stories that show the progression of friend to lover</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hilda and Nell

Nell was dimly aware of people moving very quietly around in the half light. For a moment she wondered why her bed was so hard, the remembered, with growing horror, the situation they were in. The frantic escape through the tunnels, the desperate hiding ever since. And she knew, but could not say it, that the bravery of Vater Johann had probably cost him his life.  
Her foot was aching badly now after days on the run, and she knew she could not go much further. Not one for self-pity, but tired, hungry and in pain with the responsibility of the girls, she felt tears spring to her eyes. Not all for her but for young girls having to face harsh reality.  
Then she saw in her mind a well-loved face, always calm, always steady no matter what the situation. She saw the gentle smile, heard her voice, all in her mind certainly, but the thoughts gave her the strength to face another day of anxiety and pain.  
She whispered to the one person she knew would understand “Help me Hilda; give me your courage to get these children safe.” She knew it was probably wrong to ask her friend rather than God but she reckoned He would understand, after all He had given her Hilda’s friendship. She desperately wanted to see Hilda, to hear her lovely voice telling her that everything would be alright, and in her mind she did, and it helped. She gathered her courage for the difficult day ahead, with her friend behind her and God beside her she knew she could face it.  
Jack came across to her then and she smiled at him, he returned it wearily. “Just wanted a look at your foot, see if we can do anything for it.”  
“Thank you, how far have we to go?”  
He lowered his voice” we decided not to say, not get the kids hopes up but one more day, we think tomorrow we will reach the border.”  
“Just one, “she breathed. He nodded “Now let’s see to your foot.”  
Nell struggled on through that day but the two doctors knew that she could go no further and on the final day, they hoped, she must be carried. They slept in the mountains after a poor supper, but strangely the fresh mountain air did them all good .Nell lay thinking of her friend, hoping she was safe and that soon they would again meet.  
In the morning the mood was almost light hearted, even after a very poor breakfast. The doctors insisted Nell be carried, both for her sake and speed of movement as they hoped today to cross the border. It was embarrassing but necessary Nell realised and made no complaint.  
And then, after a breathless few moments, they were free, they were across the border and into Switzerland. Nell thanked God for their safety and saw Hilda smiling at her, and she smiled back whispering “Thank you.”  
She suffered a lot with her foot and at first they thought she might be permanently lame, it didn’t worry her, it was a small price to pay. Later she was to wonder why she had not thought of Con during this time, but it only bothered her briefly.  
And there would soon be the day she was waiting for, the day she was reunited with Hilda, she could hardly wait.

Hilda felt an excitement that was quite unusual for her, at first she couldn’t realise why and then it struck her. Today was the first time she would see Nell again after all the horrors of the escape from Austria. She had heard Nell’s hair had turned partly white, but found that difficult to believe, did that really happen? Also Nell’s already weak foot has caused her problems; Hilda knew they had been worried about it, was it alright now?  
Anyway today, soon she would see for herself, she would see how her friend was, how she had coped, how she looked. This excited fluttering was just for that surely, nothing else.  
Nell had Con, they were a couple, Hilda did not know what would happen between those two, these feelings she had of, surely not, jealousy, were not connected to that, were they? She frowned; she had long known the two were a couple, at times she had felt hurt by that, why? She and Nell were friends, good friends, but Con had come first with Nell in recent years leaving Hilda feeling a little lonely, and yes that word again, jealous. Con had been staying with Nell, and that was good, wasn’t it? Good for those two, to be able to be close. Yet Con still spoke about marrying Jock, surely that was confusing, surely that wasn’t fair on Nell?  
Today she would see Nell again, and her heart lifted, looking forward to giving her the biggest hug ever, feeling her, smelling her…whoa surely those thoughts were more than just friends? She frowned, confused at herself, then shrugged it off, it didn’t matter, how she felt didn’t matter, today she was going to see Nell, and nothing else mattered.

“Nell, oh Nell” whispered Hilda, taken her friend into a tight embrace. They hugged each other tightly for a few minutes “I was so worried we had lost you.”  
“You know me “Nell replied her voice muffled “turn up like a bad penny.”  
Hilda stroked her hair, noting its whiteness was not total, chestnut still showed through. Eventually they loosened their embrace, tears on both cheeks and sat down on the sofa, Hilda still with an arm around her friend’s shoulders. Nell leaned into her “You have no idea just how much I’ve missed you, how much I have looked forward to this moment of seeing you again. “the normally unsentimental Nell whispered.  
“I think I might understand Nell,” Hilda told her” I was so scared for you when you were fugitives, and since I knew you were safe this moment is all I’ve dreamed of as well.”  
“I used to think how you would cope you know, tried to draw on my memories of your calmness and courage, it helped.” Nell admitted quietly.  
“From what I’ve heard you had courage of your own, how is your foot?” taking Nell’s hand.  
“Sore, it may never totally improve but that’s a small price to pay for our lives. The girls were so brave Hilda, you would have been proud of them.”  
“I am proud, proud of you all. Oh Nell’” she whispered tears running down her cheeks.

The fire crackled in the grate, sending flickering shadows around the room. Apart from the scratching of pens and the rustle of papers it was silent, but the silence of companions used to working together.  
She glanced across at her companion, noting the firelight reflecting in her eyes, the slight frown as she concentrated on the form in front of her. Looking down again at her own work she smiled, a tender soft smile, perhaps not in keeping with the situation but one in keeping with her feelings. Feelings she had not exactly fought against, but had not allowed to surface fully. Now, today, this moment these feelings had won, and now she wanted to know if they were reciprocated. She felt they were but how to find out without risking their special friendship.  
She murmured “I love you “almost without realising it.  
The others pen stopped, they froze, then surprised eyes looking up, meeting hers “What? “softly, a hopeful note in the voice.  
“You heard, “quietly.  
They exchanged looks, reading each other’s eyes, seeing the feelings behind them. Then Hilda rose and moved to the other “I love you.” She repeated softly.  
Nell stared, then smiled and stood. She took Hilda in her arms “Is this real?”  
“Very real.”  
“Then may I?” at Hilda’s nod Nell reached across and gently, lovingly kissed her.

 

Hilda lay next to Nell, holding her in her arms, lightly bushing stray hairs away from her face. “You said last night how you had always felt lonely, been alone, do you still feel that?”  
Nell sighed “I was thinking of my parents, Cherry, wondering why, so soon after she died they left me too, like I didn’t matter. Sometimes it hits me, something small will remind me, even after all these years.”  
“I felt the loss when my mother died, nothing was ever the same after that, there was no one to really understand me in a houseful of men.” she gently kissed Nell’s forehead. “What reminded you last night?”  
“I’m not sure.” Nell admitted “It just suddenly sprang into my head, and you, of course could tell.”  
“Of course.” Hilda agreed softly.  
“I know Cherry was the youngest, that she had always been delicate, but , but what about me? Just because I was me, the sensible older sister, did I not matter. “She buried her face into Hilda’s shoulder who held her gently.  
“You do matter Nell, you matter a great deal. I’m not your parents, but your partner, and you matter to me. How much I cannot really tell you, even as an English teacher I cannot always find the words. You matter every single day in the ways you tease me, you support me, you help me, and of course, the way you love me. I do not have the words to say just how much your love means to me, from a lonely head teacher to a loved partner, I still find that so amazing, I wake in the night and just say thank you.”  
Nell stirred beside her, then lifted tear bright eyes “I can’t say either just how much you mean. I know I tease you but it’s in love, because I love to see you smile, or to get exasperated at me, I love to see your sense of fun. When I said I was lonely it was a was, if that makes sense, with you beside me I no longer feel that, I feel complete, as one, there are not enough words Hilda, to express my love.” And they held each other, two once lonely people no longer alone.


End file.
